Improved sleeping-car



2' Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. S. BLOOD.

Sleeping Car.

Patented" Nov 23, 1869.

I No. 97,031

Inn/92 0221" mfiwmw 1 e fiiinitiui swat H. S. BLOOD, OF JEFFERSON PARISH, LOUISIANA.

Letters Patent No. 97,031, dated November 23, 1869.

IMPROVED SLEEPING-CAR.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and. making part of the same.

ented improved railroad-car seats, with a system of light, hanging platforms, so adjusted that they may be kept up against the ceiling of the car, when not wanted for-sleeping-purposes, or be brought down to a -point about midway between the ceiling and the seats, when they are to be used for such purpose, at the pleasure of the passengers, and in a few seconds of time.

The object sought to be accomplished by this com- .bination, is to convert ordinary-passenger railroad-cars into sleeping-cars, and thus, whilst providing every passenger with a bed, to dispense with the use of the present heavy and expensive sleeping-cars.

But my invention will be better understood by referring to the drawings, on which the same letters denote the same parts on both plates.

On plate 1, the drawing represents a section of the interior of an ordinary passenger-car, embracing two of my improved seats, and a hanging platform, to serve as an upper'bed, the last beingraised up against the ceiling of the car, as when not in use.

An inspection of this drawing will show that the general appearance of the interior of the car, assuming that the section shown representsfairly all parts of it,'is not essentially changed by the application or introduction of my invention within it, and that no obstruction is interposed by it to an open view, nor to the free'and perfect ventilation of the car, from one end of it to the other, as is always the case with-the regular sleeping-car, in consequence of the partitions or bulkheads, between the sections, as they are called, that, in some form or another, are found in them.

When the platform is in the position that is shown on plate 1, the backs Act the seats may occupy the position seen, or either of the others, in which it may be placed, as the comfort of the occupants of the seats may require.

The bedding and hed clothes, as well as the curtains, of whichthere are-two for every two seats, and super pendent platform or sectionof the car, as shown, may be conveniently bestowed above the platform, or between it and the ceiling of the car, where they will be alike out of view and out of the way.

On plate 2, the seats and platform are shown as when arranged for beds, before the bedding is put on either, which bedding I have not deemed it necessary to show on either of the drawings, for the reason that it does not constitute any part of my invention, nor is necessary to illustrate the same.

I proceed now to describe the particularmechanical means I employ to sustain the platform in either of the two positions shown by the respective plates, and to secure it in each.

These means consist of four rods, B B and B B, with knobs or heads b b b b at their lower extremities.

To these rods the platform is permanently secured, by means of the jointed sleeve or ring-brackets c c c c, which are firmly fastened to the platform, and fit loosely over the rods, so as to slide easily thereppon.

The rods B B are immovably fastened to the sides I of the car, in a vertical position, as shown, by any proper means, at the two extremities of p the same, in order that the said fastening shall not interfere with the sleeve-brackets etc, as they are slipped up and down. the rods. The rods B B are fastened to the ceiling of the car, at their upper ends, by any proper means, in such manner that they will hang therefrom parallel to the rods B B.

The rods B B are provided with joints (Z (l, at about the point shown, which said joints are so arranged as that the sections of the rods that are below them may be easily swung or vibrated toward the side of the car or the rods B B, 'until these sections attain a horizontal position, as shown on plate 1. These joints d d, in the rods B B, inconnection with those in the sleeve-brackets c c and c c, are the means, through the agency of which the platform is caused to slide smoothly on the rods B B B B, in its ascent to the ceiling, or in its descent from the ceiling to the posi tion shown by the drawing on plate 2.

The platform is secured against the ceiling by the pivoted rotating catches e c, which, it will be observed, are fastened on the under side of the platform. These catches e e will hold the platform in direct contact with the ceiling, in all its parts, or obliquely across the corner between the ceiling and the side of the car, at any position at which it maybe when they are turned under the rods B B.

To add to the comfort of the occupants of the platform-bed, spiral or India-rubber springs may be placed between the heads of the vertical rods, at their lower ends, and the four sleeve-brackets that sustain the platform; and to prevent the pillows from falling ofi" the platform-bed, a removable head-board, not shown on the drawing, may be applied to either end of said platform.

Surrounding every section of two seats, and an overhanging platform, curtain-rods g g are adjusted, the one extremity of the same being fastened on the side of the car, and the other, by a short upward flexure near the same, to the ceiling thereof.

A pair of curtains on these rods, of whichD maybe said to represent one, afiords a suificientmeansfor completely enveloping every section from observation from any other part of the car, and securing the privacy of the four sleepers, which each section is calculated to accommodate, and which is the number the two seatswill comfortably accommodate during the daytime. v

My invention may readily, and at small cost, be applied to every e'xisting railroad-car, without materially adding to its weight, and without at all altering an y part of its internal arrangement, except so far as the same is changed by the introduction of my combination, and hence it puts it into the power of the owners of every railmad to provide beds for every passenger or traveller'thereupon, without running a single sleeping-car, so called, on the same.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patl ent, is-- e The combination, with my patented improved rail-' road-car seats, as shown on the drawings, of an overhanging platform, when the latter is sustained upon 

